Providence nurses strike continues for second day, union demands better conditions

PORTLAND, Oregon (KOIN) – It is the second day of the ongoing strike by local nurses in Providence in which thousands of nurses from six hospitals in Oregon are striking.

The strike resumed at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning after nurses, supported by family, friends and other union members, spent a total of 14 hours outside Saint Vincent, Newberg, Milwaukie, Willamette Falls, Hood River and Medford hospitals on Tuesday.

The nurses had previously announced that they submitted a 10-day notice for a three-day strike from June 18 to 20 and demanded secure staffing, affordable health care, more paid vacation, and market-based wages.

Providence Oregon said it will not negotiate with the nurses’ union until after the strike ends on Friday morning. In the meantime, however, hospitals will remain open to patients.

“The nurses at Providence ensured that the transition went smoothly and that our replacement nurses had all the information they needed to ensure we could continue to provide excellent care,” said Jennifer Gentry, Providence’s chief nursing officer.

Although the strike is only scheduled for three days, Providence cannot bring full-time nurses back to work until Sunday because the replacement nurses have contracts that run for five days.

However, the Oregon Nurses Association said it had received a “flood of conflicting messages” from Providence’s leadership.

“On the other hand, ONA has clearly outlined our intentions and timeline so that nurses and Providence can plan accordingly,” the union said, pointing to its strike notice that provided specific times and dates for the event. “ONA nurses scheduled for shifts on Friday will be ready to return to work.”

Emma Dancer, a nurse at Providence, said the most pressing issue facing her colleagues at the start of the strike was the ratio of patients to nurses.

“If they need a hoist, which is a device that goes underneath them and physically lifts them out of bed, and we need to put them on the toilet, it can take 30 minutes to get a patient in and out of bed,” said nurse Emma Dancer. “In the meantime, I have four patients who are calling for emergency calls and also need to get up and go to the toilet, or they need painkillers or have palpitations or chest pain.”

Nurses work shifts on picket lines. They do not receive hospital pay and cannot take paid leave while on strike. Instead, they can apply for money collected by their union.

Providence Portland did not join the picket line because their nurses already carried out a strike last June And regulated their contract.

The strikers will strike until 8 p.m. Wednesday and are expected to return on Thursday morning.